


falling in love again

by proximanova (helveticaneue)



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-08 22:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12874545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helveticaneue/pseuds/proximanova
Summary: “We’re getting married when I get home,” Matt tells him.“Okay, yeah,” Luke says.





	falling in love again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [preciousthings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousthings/gifts).



> dear ang, thank you for doing the important work of creating this ship on ao3 and thus allowing those who come after you to share these two boys with the world. i wrote this based on your holihockey prompts but I finished up and got too impatient waiting to post it, so we're just going to call this a late birthday present instead!
> 
> matt and luke are 17 when the fic starts but they just kiss
> 
> title is from a joyce manor song of the same name. lyrics are also referenced later in the fic. thanks to scout for looking it over, as always.

One day Matt wants to get married. He doesn’t really know who to, yet. He’s not in a relationship or anything, and he’ll be heading to London next year, then getting drafted. It doesn’t seem like a great time to start something.

He always assumed he’d marry a girl, but, well, things kind of change on June 27, 2015.

Matt kind of likes guys, was kind of into Auston for a while. (He got over that. It’s _Auston_.) He’s never really entertained the idea of marrying one, though. Marriage is reserved for pretty girls who come to your games and cheer, not guys next to you in the locker room that you try not to look at.

Maybe it’s dumb, that Matt didn’t even think of the possibility. It was already legal some places, just not Missouri. But it’s staring him straight in the face now, all over the news, and he could do it. He could marry a guy. Maybe not until after hockey, but maybe one day.

But, well, his family wouldn’t be super into that.

The problem with ‘Same sex marriage legalized in all 50 states!’ being plastered all over the news is that his dad can see it, can say things that Matt tries to tune out and can’t help but hear. Thankfully, he doesn’t ask Matt for his opinion, just seems willing to share his own and assume that everyone else feels the same way.

Some of the words his dad uses are the same ones he hears on the ice that he’s learned to ignore. That’s just hockey, but this isn’t just hockey. This is his family.

And maybe that’s what makes him so impulsive, makes him drive over to Luke’s house and say ‘Hey, we should get married.’

Matt doesn’t think he feels like that about Luke, the marriage feelings he always imagined. But Luke is his best friend, one of his oldest friends, is special to him in pretty much every way a person can be special. It wouldn’t be so bad, to be married to Luke.

Luke just sort of gapes at him, says “What?” with such incredulity that Matt starts to realize what a bad idea this was, sort of deflates and steps backward out Luke’s door and tries to take it back.

“This was — sorry, just pretend that I didn’t say that? We can just — never mind.”

“No, wait,” Luke says. “It’s not a no, just — come in.”

Matt still feels like this was probably a bad idea, but he follows Luke into the house and back to his room, waving at Sheri and Mark on the way.

“So,” Luke says, as they sit down next to each other on his bed, “First, you’re going to tell me why you asked me to marry you.”

“It’s like — you saw that gay marriage was legalized, right?” Matt asks, and Luke nods.

“And, you’re gonna laugh at me ‘cause it’s dumb, but I never really realized that marrying another dude was a possibility until like, today.”

“It’s not dumb,” Luke says. Matt thinks he’s going to say something else, but he doesn’t, so Matt continues.

“But, like, so Dad was talking about how gay marriage shouldn’t be legal or whatever, and I just — I really wanted to get married, and shove it in his face like hey, your son likes guys, fucking deal with it.”

Luke’s face gets all soft and mushy like it did when they were 12 and Matt got his dad to introduce Luke to BJ Crombeen after he found out he had diabetes, or like it did when they won at U-18s. “Matt,” he says, “Have you ever kissed a guy?”

Matt looks down, shakes his head, and while he’s looking down he’s suddenly aware of how close Luke is sitting, their thighs touching. They always sit like this, but it’s never felt like it meant something before.

He’s even more aware of how close Luke is when there’s a hand on his jaw, and Luke is tilting his face up, and leaning in. And suddenly Luke is close everywhere, his mouth on Matt’s, and Matt kind of forgets to kiss back because he’s so caught up with how Luke is _right there_.

Luke pulls back, frowning a little, and Matt wants to smooth out the line between his eyebrows, wants to kiss it, maybe. “Shit, sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to—”

And it’s easier to lean in and kiss Luke again instead of trying to explain what’s happening in his chest, how it’s all tight and warm at the same time, like it felt after they won gold together.

Kissing is pretty great. Matt already knew this, he’s kissed plenty of girls. But kissing Luke is pretty great too, how his hand slides from Matt’s jaw to cup the back of his neck, warm and solid, how he’s the most special person in Matt’s world.

When Luke eventually pulls back, rests their foreheads together and breathes, Matt is reluctant to stop kissing him.

“We can’t get married,” he says. “You have to be 18 in the state of Missouri, or get your parents’ permission.”

“Oh,” Matt says, kind of disappointed but still high on the adrenaline of kissing Luke.

“We can go buy rings though, tomorrow,” Luke says, and _oh_. Matt likes that idea.

“We can be engaged,” he says.

Luke laughs a little and nods, his forehead moving against Matt’s. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

-

Matt doesn’t wear his ring on his finger, because people would ask questions and he’s not ready for that yet. He keeps it in his wallet, in the little zipper pouch so that he won’t lose it.

It kind of sucks, being in London when Luke’s in Wisconsin. They’ve been playing together forever, and even though Matt loves playing on a line with Marner and Dvorak, loves scoring like crazy and taking over the OHL, he misses being on the ice with Luke, or off the ice with Luke. It’s just different without him, even though they text all the time and Skype when they can.

Luke doesn’t make the cut for world juniors, and Matt does, and they win bronze. Matt can’t help but think that bronze would probably feel a hell of a lot like gold if Luke was beside him right now.

-

Matt doesn’t see Luke’s text until hours after they win the Mem Cup, when he’s drunk off champagne and cheap beer, finally escaped from Marns’ clutches and coos of “Such a good liney, such a good teammate.”

He’s got dozens of messages, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t scroll through looking for Luke’s name.

_THATS MY OT GAME WINNER_ Luke’s sent. Then, _CONGRATS BABE_ , and _THAT GOAL WAS SUPER HOT AND I LOVE YOU_

A little bit of pleasure curls through Matt’s stomach and heats his cheeks. His fingers are a little too clumsy to text, so he fumbles for the call button instead.  

“Hey, Matt,” Luke answers. “Congratulations.”

And his voice is warm and familiar and Matt just sinks into it, leans back against the wall of the bar and watches his teammates shotgun beers, says “Thanks, man.”

The team erupts into cheers, and it’s a little tough to hear Luke when he says “Still out partying?”

“Marns wants to go all night, and the captain must be obliged,” Matt says. He pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and opens the zipper pocket, one-handed, and slides the ring on his finger.

Luke is laughing on the other end, agreeing. There’s a moment of dead air as he has to take a breath.

“We’re getting married when I get home,” Matt tells him.

“Okay, yeah,” Luke says. “I can figure out the paperwork.”

“You are the smart one,” Matt agrees.

He’s accosted by Cliff and Victor, who are clinging to each other so tightly they look surgically attached. Matt isn’t quite sure how they’re managing to walk.

“Chucky, shots!” Cliff yells.

“I’ll let you go. Celebrate,” Luke says.

“Okay, love you,” Matt replies, and Victor’s eyebrows shoot up while Cliff starts hooting obnoxiously.

“Love you too, bye,” Luke says, and there’s a beep as he hangs up.

Cliff slings an arm around Matt and pulls him back to where the other guys are. The metal ring is cold on Matt’s finger, but it warms up fast.

-

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 11:30 AM**

hey u should come to st louis after the combine

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:11 PM**

y?

 

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:12 PM**

want u to b my best man

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:47 PM**

i didn’t kno u and luke were engaged

 

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:48 PM**

how did u know it was luke?!

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:48 PM**

…

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:55 PM**

when did he ask u?

 

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:57 PM**

i asked him!!!

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:57 PM**

:0

 

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 12:59 PM**

how did u know!!

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 1:00 PM**

who else would you be engaged to chuck?

 

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 1:07 PM**

…..

 

**To: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 1:07 PM**

so ur coming?

 

**From: Auston Matthews**

**May 30 1:08 PM**

ofc dude

-

On June 19th, Clayton picks up Auston and Matt in his dad’s car. Auston takes shotgun and Matt sits in the back with Luke. Luke is wearing his engagement ring when he takes Matt’s hand.

“Oh, shit,” Matt says. “Rings.”

Luke smiles at him, soft. “I took care of that already. Bought them months ago, when I was at school.”

Matt feels all pleased and warm inside. He squeezes Luke’s hand. “You’re the best fiancé.”

“About to be the best husband,” Luke says, and a little thrill goes through Matt. They’re really doing this. They’re really getting married.

It’s only a 20 minute drive to Clayton, where they can get their marriage license and get married by a judge. They’re eloping, technically, even though they’ve been engaged for almost a year now.

One day, Matt thinks, he wants a big wedding. He’s kind of daydreamed about it. Luke probably wouldn’t want it in Matt’s church, but maybe they could get married outside at a park in the summer, or have a destination wedding on the beach. Maybe in a future where Matt’s family would actually come to the wedding, that’ll actually happen.

For now, though, a five minute ceremony in a courthouse with Luke’s hands in his, staring into Luke’s eyes, feels okay.

“Do you, Luke, take Matt to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the judge asks.

Luke says “I do,” like he’s never been more sure of anything in his life. Matt knows how he feels. When the judge asks him the same question, he answers with the same surety

The rings Luke bought them are beautiful, matching silver bands with different wood inlays. They slide them on each other’s ring fingers and something inside Matt settles.

It’s not the most formal wedding. Matt’s wearing a polo and salmon colored shorts. Luke’s wearing a Wisconsin athletics bro tank, gym shorts, and Adidas slides. The judge says “You may now kiss,” and Auston starts playing some grunge-y alternative song off his phone.

“I think you’re funny, I like your friends,” the singer half-shouts in the periphery of Matt’s hearing, but it doesn’t really matter, because Luke’s hands are on his hips, and he breaks the kiss to rest their foreheads together and stare into Matt’s eyes, and holy fuck, they’re _married_.

Luke holds his hand while he signs the license, and squeezes. Auston and Clayton have to sign on the witness lines, and after that it’s official. Luke is Matt’s husband.

“Congratulations, boys,” the judge says. Luke smiles at Matt.

It feels pretty fucking good.

-

They go back to Luke’s place and have sex for the first time in Luke’s bedroom that Matt has spent countless days in, trading hockey cards, doing homework, talking about the future. This isn’t a future he ever really imagined. He imagined playing together forever, he imagined the ice, but he never thought about Luke’s ring on his finger, Luke kissing him gently before sliding down the bed to kneel between his legs.

Still, he doesn’t want anything different.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't find any common triggers here, but if you'd like me to add something or tag something, drop me an ask on [tumblr](http://brandondubinskys.tumblr.com/).
> 
> So I did a lot of research into Missouri marriage laws and same day marriages. Very little of it was used because it's boring as hell but if you're interested: First, Matt and Luke went to the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds in Clayton, MO to get their license. Then they walked next door to the St. Louis County Circuit Court, where they waited in line with other couples for a judge to marry them. This process is free and St. Louis county judges preside over around 35 marriages a week. Matt and Luke's wedding is on June 8, four days after the combine ended. Technically, you are not allowed to have your cell phone turned on or be wearing shorts or tank tops during one of these courthouse weddings, but I had already decided on a couple things regarding the wedding when I did my research and I didn't want to change it.
> 
> Luke and Matt didn't necessarily wait until marriage on purpose, they were just really busy. Matt likes to give Luke blowjobs, though. He has an oral fixation. I personally consider that sex, but I didn't think Matt would. 
> 
> I don't know if you're concerned about where Auston and Clayton are when Matt and Luke are having sex, but I was. Matt doesn't particularly care, but I imagine they're hanging out in the guest room and Auston is trying to convince Clayton to listen to the Killers.
> 
> Matt tells Luke he loves him all the time but one summer day they're enjoying afterglow and he's like "Holy shit, I'm in love with you." Luke is like "Yeah, I know, we're married" and Matt is like "Okay, that's chill" and snuggles into him.
> 
> Luke’s ring [Matt’s ring](https://www.etsy.com/listing/220320274/titanium-red-oak-wedding-band-wood-mens?ref=related-2)


End file.
